Stieg Larsson’s millennial success
The hype around Stieg Larsson’s Millennium book trilogy is in full swing with millions of copies sold — and the first movie adaptation a Scandinavian blockbuster. But the author, who died before he got to see any of his books in print, would have been a reluctant celebrity.
With more than ten million copies sold before all the translations are even complete, the Millennium trilogy is a worldwide publishing sensation. Readers have been gripped by the exploits of its heroes, investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and tattooed computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, described by one reviewer as “the coolest crime-fighting sidekick to come along in many years.”
Larsson, who was also a journalist and editor-in-chief of anti-fascist magazine Expo, landed a contract with a major Swedish publishing house but died before a single book had rolled off the presses.
Former colleague and friend Richard Slätt says: “Stieg knew instinctively that the books would be a success, although he never bragged about it. But I’m not sure he understood just how big they would be outside Sweden.”
